Raiders sign veteran guard Loper

The Raiders signed veteran guard Daniel Loper on Friday in a move that gives them more depth and experience.
Loper, 28, played in 40 games for the Tennessee Titans from 2006-08 and eight for the Detroit Lions last season. His only five starts as an NFL player came for the Lions.
Robert Gallery and Cooper Carlisle are the projected starters at left and right guard, respectively. Loper will compete for a backup spot during training camp. He is 6-foot-6 and 320 pounds.

Brandon Rodd is the only other player on Oakland’s 80-man roster listed as guard. However, several other players are capable of playing the position, including rookie fourth-round draft pick Bruce Campbell, veterans Khalif Barnes, Langston Walker, Chris Morris and Erik Pears.

Campbell played offensive tackle at Maryland, but he has been switched to guard so that he can get more playing time right away, according to coach Tom Cable.

Walker and Chris Morris started several games at left guard last season in place of an injured Gallery. Barnes hasn’t started any games at guard during his five-year NFL career, though he has received practice time there with the Raiders. Pears’ natural position is offensive tackle, but Cable has worked on making him more versatile in case called upon in an emergency.

I have every reason to believe you will see improved O-Line play this year. Tom Cable’s “buffoonery” notwithstanding. His “buffoonery” was as an OC, calling plays. He was extremely inexperienced in this capacity, BUT he is a very good O-Line coach. I believe Al Davis (anything to save a nickle on coaching staff salaries)is to blame for the “buffoonery” of compelling a relatively inexperienced head coach to spread himself too thin….don’t think it was Cable’s call. HC, OC, Play-caller, and O-Line Coach were much more than he, and probably any other head coach, could effectively handle. In addition, injuries and inability to get the best of the team’s O-Line players enough time on the field to gel as a unit contributed to the inability to run the ball. O-Line experience “together” is of paramount importance in to co-ordinated effort required by the ZBS.

This year will tell…………..

SinceFrankYouellField

And hella good mornin’ to you RR! And to the rest of the AM crew….best of the blog!

Thunder and lighning up here today. Good day for goofing at the keyboard.

Raider O: Will “bonging” help bore than “boning” up on the subject matter????!!!!!

SinceFrankYouellField

Sorry, O, that was “more than”

RaiderRockstar

Now if Cable’s baffoonery on the O-Line doesn’t improve…well……

***

Agreed. However, at least there have been SOME moves made here. Jim Michalczik gets a chance to do his job. Cornell Green is out. we’re looking at the potential for 3 new starters on the O-line. Last year Chris Morris, Cooper Carlisle & Cornell Green started on Week 1 against SD. We went through many different variations throughout the year due to injuries & ineffectiveness, but I think Satele, Campbell & Walker might be able to get the job done.

Raiders allowed 49 sacks last year. With a new QB under center and 3 new starters on the OL I think there is much room for improvement.

Also, Mario Henderson is NOT a lock to start at LT. gave up the most sacks in the league last year and we drafted Veldheer in RD3. If big Jared tears it up in OTA’s, training camp & preseason how could they NOT start him ???

Bonging is to calm me down, so I can focus on the test. Can’t focus if I’m too stressed. I studied this weekend, and the method works. I have a great GPA.

SinceFrankYouellField

Great points, RR.

Perhaps Mario will be better this year as a result of not getting worn down toward the latter part of the season? By then, last year, every team knew the Raiders couldn’t run the ball and Mario was on an island with the change of “help” at LG. He was stormed on every play until he was worn down and gave up sacks. The kid is good…but cannot do it alone.

Question: Did everyone to the right of Mario last year have the intelligence required to play effectively in the ZBS? Do the anticipated starters this year have it ?????

RaiderRockstar

by the way, if Chaz Schilens is healthy I expect him to have 60 catches this year.

Zach Miller’s reception & yardage totals are growing each year. Concussion free I expect him to have 70 catches & 850 yards this year

Laid sod at the pad…I’m stiff and exhausted. This time of year I use the work week to rest.

***

sounds like work!

My father n’ law teaches a conceal & carry course every other Saturday. owns about 20 acres with access to the river (good for catching small mouth, white bass & catfish). helped him by settin’ up the canopy to keep his 13 shooters dry. made a camp fire, brewed some coffee for everybody and set up some tables & chairs. awesome time. later that night when the course was complete and all of our guests left we had about 35 family members down there for a good old fashioned Podunk BBQ. some family from Oklahoma even came – seriously. haha

(insert redneck jokes here)

SinceFrankYouellField

Good goin’, Raider O!

Just got a little worried for you. I remember back in the late 60’s, early 70’s….a guy…cannot remember his name…..published a book on everything there is to know about “bongin'”.

In one chapter, he discussed how some of his “deepest” thoughts came when he loaded up. Realized he was having some folks over for a B-B-Q or something and thought, “I am gonna have one of those revelations tonight while stoned! And if I don’t do something to save the thought, I will lose it by morning.”

So, he put a piece of paper in his typewriter (you may not be old enuf to know about those!) and was all excited that he would not lose his earth-shattering realization.

That night he had one of those “revelations”. “Incredible! This will be the key to world peace and global happiness!” He ran upstairs and typed the thought before he could lose it.

Woke up the next morning, stretched, and thought “Omigod! I typed my revelation last night. Got to run to the typewriter and retrieve it in order to save the world!!! He ran to the typewriter, scrolled up, and there it was!………………….

“It is very warm tonight.”

So don’t have any deep bonging revelations in the middle of your exams!!!!!

RaiderRockstar

Samson was not a beastly run blocker, but in 12 starts he had 2 sacks allowed. no false starts or holding calls

Cable was singing his praises after the season so i’ll give him a big fat “we’ll see” and I want to get Kevin Mawae in here if for nothing more than competition